I am continually amazed at what God has done/is doing/is going to do in our midst. We’ve been laying some serious groundwork for a few months now; foundational teachings, if you will. ‘What is the Gospel,’ ‘What the Gospel is Not,’ and now we’re working through the Gospel of John together. This past Sunday was amazing! God is moving in our midst, and I just can’t wait to see what direction He leads us. I know the assumption in church is that the pastor is called to do the teaching, but I learn more from the crowd than they learn from me! Every week! So here’s what I learned…

1. God is in control. And HE promised to build His church. I think about what a knucklehead I am, and how in spite of my shortcomings (one or two), this church is SO amazingly gracious and encouraging. I shared in my sermon Michael Horton’s definition of the church as being an ’embassy of grace,’ and wow, do they ever embody that. I am so blessed.

2. In discussions during our Sunday night conversation (we get a little chatty during our time together), it was refreshing and inspiring to hear our folks tell of how they’ve been reaching out to old friends, new friends, and strangers who show up on their doorsteps. We are called to proclaim the Gospel. WE are not going to save anybody, but WE are going to offer hope to those who so desperately need it. God has been so gracious to us; we must be gracious to others, and our folks are showing that so beautifully.

3. A group of our young men spent an entire day working around the church, cleaning the grounds and just beautifying the property. It wasn’t publicized beforehand, and it wasn’t announced from the stage. We only heard about it afterwards from others who happened to see them in action. It was done in the spirit of love and humility, and that is so beautiful. They so perfectly personified the old saying, “We’re not here to MAKE a name, we’re here to GLORIFY a name.”